


Aboard the Fireship

by Jassanja



Series: Cake Universe [2]
Category: As the World Turns
Genre: Community: TheNeid, Developing Relationship, Jealousy, Love Triangle, M/M, Neid Lil' Bang, Past Relationship(s)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-03-19
Updated: 2012-07-07
Packaged: 2017-11-02 06:18:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,112
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/365871
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jassanja/pseuds/Jassanja
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>As Reid and Noah's relationship develops they have to deal with Luke's reaction.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Unofficial official Sequel to "You promised Cake". Can be read as a stand-alone

“Someone messed up the channels, so the sound was still live when Katie started to curse about her pantyhose running. It didn’t take two minutes and there were angry viewers calling the station, complaining about the profanity.” Noah rolled his eyes, in a way that made Reid wonder if Noah had picked it up from him.

Reid shook his head at the latest tale from WOAK. “That just proves it, again. This town’s full of idiots. And I must be one too, or why else am I staying here? I could get a job at every first class clinic in the country, yet I remain in Hicktown, Illinois.” he said, and slouched back in his chair, the fingers of his right hand massaging his temple.

“What’s holding you back?” Noah asked, taking a long swallow from his cup.

Reid sighed. “I don’t know,” he admitted. “The hospital wing is all I have here, and as I said, they have those in other parts of the country as well. Katie is safely married off, the Hughes providing her with all the babysitting she’ll ever need. So I guess it must be the extraordinary coffee they serve here.”

Noah leaned over the table, and dropped his voice. “Well, as someone who worked in this joint for years, I can tell you that the coffee isn’t anything special at all. You can get the roast at every store for just a couple bucks.”

Reid laughed, and stretched his leg out alongside Noah’s. “Then it must be the atmosphere. Well, that and the only other place around here to go for coffee being Al’s, where you’d have to suffer the visual insult that are Henry’s shirts,” Reid admitted.

“So, you plan to leave Oakdale soon?” Noah asked, his knee touching Reid’s leg as he shifted in his seat.

Reid was surprised that Noah didn’t move right away again, once they came into contact. At the other times they’d been out together, Noah had prevented any such contact or repositioned himself as soon as it happened by accident.

“No,” Reid said, trying not to get distracted from the warmth soaking through his favorite jeans. “I don’t really plan to leave.”

Noah grinned at him, “Admit it, Doc, you like it here.”

“Like is a strong word” Reid answered with a lopsided smirk, “but I think I just got used to it all. Or was exposed too long to whatever you put in the waters here.”

“Whatever you say” Noah said, 

Noah leaned over the table again, and it suddenly seemed like it had shrunken to half its size. Reid became very aware of Noah’s hand next to his, as Noah put his cup down. Their pinkies even touched.

Boldly he moved his hand, so that it was covering Noah’s.

And the other man didn’t push him away or remove his own hand as if burned.

“So, that’s how it is now?” Reid asked, as he pointedly looked down at their hands.

Noah looked down too, then back at Reid and shrugged. “Looks like it,” he answered.”

And suddenly Reid realized why Noah had been fishing for reasons why he didn’t leave despite his repeated declarations of nothing holding him back.

***

Only moments after Noah had excused himself for a moment, Luke entered Java.

He must have spotted Reid while ordering at the counter, as he came over as soon as he’d gotten his order. “Hey,” he greeted Reid, who nodded back at him.

“I heard you got a birthday cake from my grandma.” Luke said, after an uncomfortable pause.

“Yeah,” Reid answered, frowning. That had been months ago. Hadn’t they talked in that long?

“Perhaps you like to come over to the farm sometime this week? Have dinner? Grandma would love to cook for you.”

Reid nodded. “I’ll think about it.”

“It was nice to see you.” Luke said after it became obvious that they had nothing else to say to each other, and left.

Noah returned from the bathroom the same moment Luke left the coffee house. Reid smirked at the perfect choreography.

The smirk flew off his face right away as Noah put a hand on his shoulder, and leaned down to kiss him.

Reid pulled back in shock.

“What?” Noah asked, disappointment heavy in his voice.

“Did someone sneak any drugs into your coffee?”

“We kissed before.” Noah answered defensively.

“We did, but you always took care that it only happened behind closed doors. Multiple closed doors if possible.”

Noah shrugged. “Do you want to keep it there?”

Reid got up and put his jacket on. He placed his arm around Noah’s waist to lead him out of Java. “Have I ever been afraid to be seen with a guy in public?”

***  
“Sorry I’m late,” Luke said as he hurried into the farm kitchen. “We just had an emergency at Grimaldi. It looks like we …” He stopped mid-sentence at the surprise of seeing both Noah and Reid sitting at the table with his grandma and father.

“Hi,” he finally managed to say, as he sat down. “I didn’t expect the two of you here.”

“Clearly!” Reid said, and shoveled some more food into his mouth.

“Isn’t it nice that they came over?” Emma asked.

“Yeah, it is,” Luke answered, “I just never expected them to do it together.”

“Haven’t you always wanted for us to get along better?” Reid asked, with raised eyebrows.

“Yes, but…” Again Luke didn’t find the right words, and was fighting for composure.

“I’m rather surprised we didn’t meet Jesse…Justin... John…”

“Jeff,” Luke muttered

“..yes, Jeff, here tonight.”

“We broke up. Weeks ago.” Luke’s expression had gotten dark at Reid’s mock-forgetfulness about his ex’s name.

Reid snickered, “who dumped whom?” he wondered at the same time as Noah asked “what happened?”

“Not that it is any of your business,” Luke tried to sound firm, “but we decided together that it didn’t work out anymore. We have too different plans for the future.”

Reid put his fork up against his lips and pretended to think this over. “Where have I heard that before?” he asked no one in particular.

“That was what Luke said when he dumped you?” Noah offered helpfully.

“Actually, I was thinking that it was what he told you”

Luke glared over the table at them.” Ha ha, very funny guys.” He said without any humor in his voice.

Holden hurriedly put his napkin in front of his mouth, and Emma brushed some crumbs of the table.

As the silence stretched into an uncomfortable length, Holden cleared his throat and asked, “You said, there was something wrong at the company?”.

“Oh yes,” Luke went back to the bad news he had wanted to share with his family. “One of our ships ran aground on the coast of Norway this morning, and it took hours to get everything sorted out.”

***

“Do you think Luke suspects something about us?” Noah‘s fingers were nervously beating against the steering wheel of his truck.

”Why would he?” Reid asked back. “And even if, where’s the problem with that?”

“Doesn’t it bother you?”

“No,” Reid answered dryly.

Noah shrugged. They stayed silent until the truck hit a bump in the road.

“What if he’s seen us?’” Noah started again.” “What if he’s seen us lately, while…”

“…while we kissed?” Reid finished the sentence.

“Yeah”

“Then he’s seen us kiss. So what?”

Noah stayed silent and starred at the street ahead of them.

“If I remember right, and I usually do,” Reid continued,” then it was you who started the kissing in public. Are you suddenly ashamed of it?”

“No,” Noah shook his head so hard the car left the lane.

“Pull over!” Reid ordered him, but Noah didn’t listen.

“Pull over!” Reis said again and put a hand on Noah’s arm.

This time Noah did pull the truck over to a stop.

Reid opened his seatbelt and moved closer to put a hand on Noah’s shoulder. “Why does it matter to you what Luke might have seen?” We owe whim no explanation. He was the one who broke up with both of us. What we do now is none of his business.”

Noah took a deep breath. “I know! But it still feels wired.”

“How so?”

“First I am with Luke, and then you’re with him. Now I’m with you. It feels like we are in a small town with no real choice in who we’re seeing.”

“We are in a small town,” Reid pointed out. “And you’ve seen who other people in this town date? Not just the ex of their ex, but also the brothers or sisters of their exes. If not their parents or children. So, we’re just putting a gay angle to the normal behavior.”

For the first time since Luke had joined the dinner table that evening Noah managed a real, warm smile.

“Good,” Reid lightly kissed Noah before moving back into his own seat. “Now drive me home!”

“Why the sudden hurry?” Noah asked as he put the truck back into gear.

Reid leered at him. “So I can drag you in inside and give you a reason to remember why you’re now seeing me.”


	2. Chapter 2

   
Noah wasn’t surprised at all, when Luke showed up at his place the next day. He had expected this to happen. Perhaps Reid could overlook the elephant in the room, maybe even distract Noah from it for a night, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t there and needed addressing.

”So,” Noah started once they both sat down on the sofa, glasses of water in reach, “any news on the stuck freighter?” Not that he really cared, but news about the shipping business would be way better than any suspicions Luke might have about Noah’s love life.

Luke nodded. “We found out that there were some problems with the maps. The Norwegian government only re-measured that cliff recently, so the change wasn’t on the maps yet when we updated the route.” Luke laughed without humor before he continued. “It’s ironic, actually. Just last year I ordered for the maps to be updated more often, and now we had this accident because we did it a couple of weeks too soon.”

“Will it have any consequences for the company?” Noah asked, still trying to stay on this topic for as long as possible.

“No, we have to pay a fine, and the cost of getting cleared off the cliff. Most of that will be paid by our insurance. And Rick from the PR department said that such incidents can even have positive results, as our name got into the news. We may pick up new customers in the long run, as word gets out how well we handled the situation. Crazy, isn’t it?”

Noah nodded. “No such thing as bad publicity.”

„Enough about this,” Luke said and smiled at Noah. “How’s the work on your movie going?”

Noah shrugged.” We’re still trying to get another producer, so we can keep working on it.”

“If you need more money…” Luke began but Noah raised both hands in front of him.

“Thanks for the offer Luke, but your first contribution to get us started is all I can and will take from you. Now the material needs to speak for itself. How will I ever know if my work is good enough if I never have to fight for it?”

Luke raised an eyebrow in surprise. “Are you sure? It would be much easier if you just let me…”

“Yes, I am. I need to do it by myself; else I will never be able to trust in my abilities.”

“Have you got someone else to help you?” Luke asked. “I heard Mason’s back in town.”

Noah shook his head. “He called, but I don’t want his help either.” Noah took a long gulp from his water, unsure if he should say anything more.

„I realized that he only cares if it looks like I’m going places” Noah finally admitted. “Like with my college project, or now with this movie. He never called, let alone visited, after I had that accident. Until then I thought he was a real friend, but I won’t make that mistake again.”

“Speaking of friends… “

Noah took a deep breath. There it was. Their conversation had reached the point he’d hoped to avoid. “Would you believe me if I said that I ‘m surprised myself?”

“No!” Luke smiled. “I certainly remember that afternoon at the Lakview, when you punched him, you know. Didn’t look like you where on your way to become friends back then.”

Noah laughed. “I apologized. Took me a couple of years, but I did it.” He felt Luke’s eyes on him, waiting for him to continue. “Getting to know Reid better certainly opened my eyes. In more ways than one.”

“He has that effect on people,” Luke agreed. “When he isn’t pissing them off that is. But that wasn’t what I wanted to talk to you about,” Luke said, and Noah braced himself for the uncomfortable questions that were to come.

Luke’s next words surprised him nonetheless. “As I told you during dinner last night, Jeff and I broke up, and I was wondering if perhaps you and me …”

“No,” Noah said before Luke could even finish. “I don’t think that this would be a good idea in any way.” While he said this, Noah wondered, how he knew how to answer to this. It was just there, without him ever spending thought about this possibility.

“But…” Luke leaned forward and put a hand on Noah’s knee.

Noah put his own hand around Luke’s wrist and removed Luke’s hand with a gentle but firm motion. “No, Luke. I still care for you and all, but this is a bad idea. You shouldn’t even think about it.”

***

“I just told you that I transplanted a monkey’s brain into Janet’s head and now her IQ is up 20 points, and all you have to say to that is, ‘that’s great’? Do you have you so little faith in the intelligence of monkeys or aren’t you listening to me at all anymore?” Reid asked as Noah sat on Reid’s sofa, starring holes into the air, as if Reid had never managed to fix his eyes.

“What?” Noah asked, as he realized that Reid waited for an answer. “Oh, I mean, well done!”

“Case in point!”

Reid straddled Noah’s lap, and ,with a finger under his chin, guided Noah’s gaze to his face. “Hey,” Reid said softly and put his hand on Noah’s neck, then leaned in to kiss him deeply.

“What’s up?” he asked once he’d gotten Noah’s full attention.

“It’s Luke,” Noah said.

“So? Did he find out our badly hidden secret and made a scene?”

“No.”

Reid’s fingers raked through the hairs just above Noah’s neck, evoking goose bumps.  
“He came over this morning, to ask me to get back together with him again.” He ended with a heavy sigh.

“I see,” Reid said slowly, and began to rise up from Noah’s lap.

“Oh, no, you don’t!” Noah hastily shoved his hands into the back pockets of Reid’s pants and pulled him back down “You think I’ll get back with him just because he wants too?”

“Yes,” Reid said slowly. “If I remember correctly, yours is the greatest love story ever told. Or well, the second greatest, right after Lilden’s, but still before Romeo and Juliet.”

“Lilden? Did you hang out with the nurses from pediatrics’ again? I thought you hated those gossip hens.”

“It isn’t my fault that this new nurse brings muffins. I think she just does it so she can say she tamed scary Doctor Oliver. I hate that it works, but it does. I could never resist any free food, let alone when it’s home-made muffins. But we were talking about you and Luke, and not my eating habits. So?”

“There isn’t anything to talk about. Luke and I are friends, nothing more!”

“If you say so!”

“You don’t believe me?”

“I’m just wondering why you’re so distracted by his offer, if there isn’t anything anymore.”


	3. Chapter 3

“Mr. Snyder, what a surprise! I thought the budget meeting wasn’t until next Friday?”

“Oh, you know it’s next Friday.” Luke sat down in the chair across Reid’s desk without waiting for an invitation. Reid raised his eyebrow at the bold move. He was reminded how aggressive Luke could become when he wanted something.

“Then what else is on your agenda?” Reid asked, choosing his words carefully.

“I was wondering if you had any plans for dinner tonight?”

“I don’t believe you just asked that.” Reid smiled a half-smile while he shook his head. 

Luke blushed. “Why? Have you given up on eating?”

“No, I still enjoy food very much. But something tells me that you didn’t mean just grabbing a bite. Or even a business dinner.” Reid couldn’t help a smirk as he continued. “Noah told me about the little visit you paid him yesterday. And since he told you no, I expected to hear from you next. And here you are, like you’d be working your way down a list of former lovers, hoping to score a reunion date.”

“I …” Luke began hastily, then paused to find the right words. “It isn’t like that.”

“Then how is it, Luke?”

Luke didn’t answer right away, just fiddled with the hem of his light suit. His face darkening with color.

“You need to stop defining yourself by your relationship status, Luke.” Reid said. “I’ve seen you stumble from one relationship to the next, like your life is worthless if you don’t have a boyfriend. And now you even try to go backwards, because you can’t meet someone new fast enough! Or do you just need to get laid?”

“Reid! Stop it.”

Reid ignored him and continued with some more bite in his voice. “If that’s the case, make sure the next guy doesn’t realize you’re only asking him out again because Noah and I already turned you down. It won’t get you anywhere if they realize they weren’t the first on your list. Desperate is never a good look!”

Luke shot angry glances at Reid over the desk. “What if you didn’t know you weren’t the first one I asked out again? Would you have agreed to have dinner with me then?”

“No, it wouldn’t have made a difference. I don’t care if I’m first or last on your list. It has nothing to do with you. I’m seeing someone else.”

Luke lowered his face, and then looked up beneath his lashes. “So, you will go to dinner with me, if it doesn’t work out with you and that other guy?”

Reid laughed out loud and shook his head in surprise. “And people say I don’t believe in lasting relationships.”

Luke shrugged. “It was worth a try.”

Suddenly Reid was very grateful for the desk standing between them, not sure if he’d not be doing something stupid, if Luke were in kissing distance.

Thankfully Luke wasn’t realizing this, and had already moved on to something that sparked his interest more. “So? Whom are you seeing? Do I know him?”

Reid gave a mock-sigh. “Must we water the gossip mill?”

“It’s just that I haven’t seen you around with anyone. So it must be fairly recent.”

“You’re not going to leave until I tell you, are you?” 

“No chance!”

“Ok, ok, if you must know, we’ve seen each other for a while, but it just got serious a few days ago.”

Luke was beaming as if this was about him, not Reid. “That’s great to hear. So, who is it? Perhaps the new receptionist from the Lakeview? I’m sure he’s one of us, yet he turned me down a couple of days ago.” 

Before Reid could say anything, Luke gasped, and knowing dawned on his face. “It’s Noah, isn’t it? You said he already told you about yesterday. And you’ve been at the farm together. That should have made us suspicious.”

“Will there be drama, if I tell you that you’re right?”

“It will need some time for me to get adjusted to the idea,” Luke admitted.

“Fair enough!” Luke may be shrugging if off now, but Reid would stay on guard for the fight that was sure to come once Luke had some time to get over the shock of the news.

He watched as Luke hurried to leave, but stopped him at the door with a hand on Luke’s shoulder. “Remember what I said, Luke. You’re worth as a person isn’t determined by a relationship.”

Luke slowly nodded and, after a moment’s worth of hesitation, hugged Reid. “Thank you!”

“You know me. I’m always happy to dish out hard truths free of charge. So if you need more, just come and see me.”

***

“Today the most peculiar thing happened.” Reid told Noah later that night as he leaned in for a post coital kiss.

“And what would that be?” Noah asked. “Did you get a call from the Nobel prize committee?”

“Not today, but it can only be a matter of time till that happens.” Reid answered. “No, I got the same visitor you got yesterday. And guess what? He tried to ask me out on a date.”

Noah pushed himself up and supported himself on his lower arms. “Do you really think this is the right time to talk about Luke?”

“No, but it’s the right time to talk about us.”

Noah’s face flushed even further than it had minutes ago. “So this is your way of saying goodbye? Sleeping with me one last time before running back to the only man you ever had feelings for?”

“What?” Reid was shocked at Noah’s reaction. He thought they could laugh at what happened to them, even hoped to make a joke about being tempted to agree to that date as Luke had mentioned free dinner. 

Then things fell into place, and for the second time this week, Reid suddenly knew everything Noah didn’t outright say. And he realized that he hadn’t told Noah yet that he understood. That Noah didn’t need to worry.

He reached out and put a hand behind Noah’s neck, letting his fingers stroke the damp skin there. He was trying to calm Noah down by touch as well as with words.

“I told him some things he needed to hear, yes,” Reid said. “And he didn’t like all of them, I wager. Least of all, hearing that I’m with you now. I’m sure he will tell us why that’s a bad idea, once he has prepared a speech and a long list of arguments. Until then, it’s you and me.”

The soothing caresses and the firm words helped. Noah relaxed into Reid’s arms. For a moment Reid was tempted not to go on, but there was more that needed to be said.

“As for you, idiot, the next time you’re worried I’d leave because of another man or a job, tell me. I’d be happy to show you otherwise.” He kissed Noah’s brow.

Noah slowly nodded. “I didn’t expect you to figure out that I wasn’t distracted yesterday because I wondered if I made the right decision, but because I was wondering what your decision would be, if Luke came to see you.”

“Well, it took me a while to figure that out,” Reid admitted, “but I got there. And that’s why the Nobel Prize committee should call anytime now. I am a genius. I even start to figure out human hearts, not only their brains.”

“You know, I never planned for this to happen.” Noah said after a while. “Falling for you, I mean.”

“Don’t tell me you believe that one can plan for it to happen?” Reid surely hadn’t. He’d had more than enough of that feelings crap with Luke, and had hoped to have left that behind him. But here he was again. Feeling things he wasn’t sure he wanted to feel. He probably would never get used to being so out of control over his heart.

“Well, I should leave,” Noah said and kicked the blanket from his legs.

It was what he usually did after sex. They had yet to spend a night together, and Reid thought that now was the right time for that. 

“Actually, you should stay.” He put a hand on Noah’s chest and held him back.

“I’m not sure this is a good idea.”

Reid shook his head. “If we plan to do this relationship stuff, then we should do it right, don’t you think?” 

Before Noah could agree he’d found himself pushed back on his back again, with Reid pinning him down, hard.


End file.
